Things to Do in Avignon

Located in the foot of Rhone, Rocher des Doms directly faces Villeneuve-lez-Avignon. The garden was laid out in 1830 and was huge enough to hide a reservoir which once supplied water to the city. It is known to be the cradle of Avignon and the most delightful thing is the panoramic view that the visitors wouldn’t want to miss out on.

Ideal for picnics and family day-outs, there is a tourist train that takes visitors to the top of the mountain. Adventure lovers can also hike up to the top!

This art museum was built for the 1900 Exposition Universelle. Presently, it also includes the City of Parish Museum of Fine Arts. It is situated on one side of the Grand Palais which was built for the same reason. The museum has an octi-circular courtyard and garden as well. Their columns, grand porch and dome echoing about the Invalides across the river are some of the golden features. The tympanum which depicts the city of Paris along with sculptors and other art work also makes the place iconic.

This Roman Catholic Church is situated beside the Palais des Papes and it seats the Archbishop. It was in the second half of the 12th century that the cathedral building was built. The bell tower had collapsed in 1405 but was reconstructed again by 1425. The extension of the building was done during 1670 – 1672. The building was left unmaintained during Revolution, but was later restored and the interiors were filled with art. The most prominent feature is the glided Statue of Virgin Mary situated on top of the bell tower.

The Utopia Avignon is present at two locations, Republique and the Manutention, and they run all around the year without a pause. They show about 340 films from countries all over the world and are heard in their original language, along with subtitles. This cinema has about a minimum of 24 screenings per day and is open to all. The visitors can also dine at the restaurant or sip some liquor in the bar.

This historical palace at Avignon and is one of the biggest and vital medieval Gothic Buildings in Europe. A UNESCO world heritage site, it was the residence of Western Christianity during the 14th century. It was originally made up of two buildings, the Palais of Benedict XII and new Palais of Clement VI. It portrays one if the best Gothic architectural style in the world attracting thousands of tourists every year and is one of 10 most visited monuments in Paris.

This place in France is all about nature activities for the visitors. They can swim, camp, canoe and horse ride. Its natural beauty claims to give it the name as ‘green lung’ of Avignon. It’s a 5 minute walk, crossing the river shuttle, away from the historic centre and amidst the countryside. The view from here is simply breathtaking. Restaurants, camping, sailing club, paintball fields and Farmer's Market add a spark to the visit making it a great hangout.

Great walking area and ideal for activities like biking.

Eglise Saint Pierre shows vivid variations of architectural features from three centuries of 14th, 15th and 16th. There was a church named Saint Pierre that dates back to 7th century. It was built along with canons’ building, the cloister, the apse and the bell tower. The chapels at the side were built in 15th century. They exhibit amazing carves on wooden doors. The styles of décor are from the Renaissance period.

The Rue des Teinturiers is a street paved with stones and is well-known for its picturesque. It begins from the city walls and then follows the Sorgue canal till it connects with Rue des Lices. People enjoy being here the most during summer due to the moderate temperatures. There are a lot of cafes and restaurants that make it a great place to chill. During festive season, people get to see various musical shows.

This permanent exhibition opens a world of different fruits and vegetables for the visitors. The trail will let them see the diversity in vegetation, their origin, growing, and processing and nutrition benefits. Proper guidance is available and those interested can also participate in the workshops organized from time to time.

The Place de l'Horloge is the Clock Tower Square, and is located amidst the city. There are important buildings situated on the square and that includes Avignon’s 19th century city hall and opera. There are many restaurants, cafes and bars here and the venue is popular for annual events like Festival d’Avignon.

La Fondation Calvet is the present name of Musee Calvet, an art museum. It is named after Esprit Calvet who bestowed his collection and library here, in 1810. There are several museums with paintings, archaeological pieces, coins, medals and sculptures from medieval times. It also has two libraries. The main building was built in 18th century which had more extensions eventually. The medieval sculptures have been moved to Musee Lapidaire along with thousands of coins and medals.

The Angladon-Dubrujeaud museum includes a collection of work done by renowned artists from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. These have been stored by Jean and Paulette Angladon-Dubrujeaud who were the successors of Jacques Doucet, a Parisian couturier and collector. Their former home was transformed into this museum with all their stored collections and inheritance. At their will, the upper floor retained the look of the house. Also, a medieval and Renaissance room, an artists’ studio, a Chinese room and the 18th century living rooms displaying many canvases, drawings and signed furniture were restored.

The Louis Vouland Museum is situated near the Saint-Dominique gate of the city walls. It is set up on the residence of Villeneuve-Esclapon and had been open to the public since 1982. It has a beautiful garden and it stores famous pieces of decorative arts which were collected during Louis Vouland’s lifetime. There are furniture, ceramics, gold and silver tapestries, paintings, and many more things that the industrialist left behind. It gives an essence of the luxuries of 18th century.

The Avignon City Hall also known as Hotel de Ville stands on the Horloge Square. It is located in the middle of the city. It had been built in 1844 and portrays the typical architectural style of the 19th century. Previously, the gothic cardinal palace was situated here. The clock tower was preserved well and it now emerges above the facade.

Le Palais Royal or Royal Palace is a restaurant located in Plaza de le Mirande. The restaurant has a beautiful terrace and is just next to the Roman ruins which were there from the 1st century. The afternoon menu includes appetizer, second and desserts, all for a good value. There are arugula salad with tuna, appetizers which include provincial birds and salmon carpaccio. For seconds, there are chicken, filet of sole, beef carpaccio and many different seasonal dishes that differ each day.